POLICE BEAT

Old Town felon arrested on gun possession, other charges

OLD TOWN, Maine — An Old Town man was arrested last Tuesday after police were called to Howland Lane to look into complaints of a disturbance involving loud voices and a man with a gun who had exited an apartment building.

When they arrived, police first determined that no one was injured but did find a gun in the bushes outside, according to Old Town police Capt. Kyle Smart.

During their subsequent investigation, they spoke to a man who lived in a third-floor apartment who said he and his roommate had been been fighting and allowed officers to go inside.

There they found Joseph Lessard, 30, hiding near a bed. After having his name run through a law enforcement database, police learned that Lessard was a convicted felon, and as such, not eligible for firearm ownership, Smart said.

Lessard was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, a Class C felony punishable by up to five years in jail and a fine of up to $5,000. He also was charged with disorderly conduct and violating the conditions of his release from a prior arrest.